The present invention generally relates to dental instruments. More specifically, the present invention relates to dental instruments which have a rotatable portion that can rotate when in contact with and moved along a patient""s mouth. The rotatable portion provides enhanced comfort to the patient during a dental procedure. The present invention also relates to methods of making the dental instruments and methods of using the dental instruments.
A wide variety of dental instruments are in use today and have been used in the past. Dental instruments are typically held in a dental professional""s hand with a dental tool at an end of the instrument positioned within a patient""s mouth for performing a procedure. Numerous types of dental tools exist for performing many different dental procedures. Some dental tools are fixed in position relative to the rest of dental instrument, while other dental tools may be movable relative to the rest of the dental instrument. For example, some dental tools may be manually rotated or may be power driven to rotate.
During a dental procedure it is common for part of the dental instrument other than the dental tool to contact various portions of the patient""s mouth. Such contact with the patient may occur at the patient""s lower lip, upper lip, teeth, gums, tongue, or other portions of the mouth. The contact of the dental instrument with the patient""s mouth may be incidental to the actual procedure within the mouth, or even desired, for example, by supporting the dental instrument on the patient""s lip. The contact of the dental instrument with the patient can be a source discomfort for the patient. For example, a dental instrument may be dragged across a patient""s lip and scrape the lip which provides discomfort to the patient. The patient""s discomfort may be increased when the dental instrument surface scraping the lip has a cross-hatched surface which is commonly used on dental instruments.
Many people are already hesitant to submit themselves to dental procedures. Furthermore, many dental patients experience discomfort during dental procedures. Accordingly, needs exist to improve dental procedures. Needs further exist to enhance patient comfort by reducing discomfort during dental procedures.
Examples of existing dental instruments can be found in U.S. Pat. No. DES 249,062, titled Dental Instrument, which issued on Aug. 22, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 797,270, titled Tool For Dental Operation, which issued on Aug. 15, 1905; U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,884, titled Winding and Tightening Tool and Method for Manufacturing Same, which issued on Dec. 10, 1974; U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,347, titled Dental Tool for Use with Dental Retaining Splints, which issued on Apr. 6, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,781, titled Dental Tool with Dual Restoration Material Retainers, which issued on Jun. 6, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,907, titled Dental Curette With Finger Pad, which issued on Feb. 25, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,971, titled Dental Instrument, which issued on Nov. 10, 1992; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,597, titled Dental Instrument with Gripping Handle and Method for Manufacturing the Same, which issued on Mar. 26, 1996.
The present invention provides new dental instruments which have a movable surface that contacts the patient. The movable surface provides enhanced comfort to the patient during the dental procedure. The movable surface in contact with the patient allows the dental instrument to be moved and positioned as needed during the dental procedure while reducing unnecessary abrasive contact with the patient. For example, the movable surface can be a rotatable sleeve which rolls along a patient""s lip to reduce or eliminate dragging and scraping contact of the dental instrument with the patient""s lip. Accordingly, the new dental instruments can enhance patient treatment and improve the quality of dental care.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a dental instrument is provided which has an elongated shaft that has a user grip portion. A dental tool extends from one end of the shaft. A sleeve is provided between the user grip portion and the dental tool. The sleeve is rotatably mounted to the shaft and rotatable relative to the shaft and the dental tool. The sleeve may have an exterior grip enhanced surface. The dental tool may be secured to the end of the shaft in a fixed position or may be movable, such as rotatable. The sleeve can be mounted to the shaft in any way to allow the rotation. Another aspect of the dental instrument is that the sleeve is rotatable in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Another dental tool may extend from another end of the shaft and another rotatable sleeve may be rotatably mounted to the shaft. The second sleeve is positioned between the second dental tool and the user grip portion and is rotatable relative to the shaft in the second dental tool.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a dental instrument is provided which has a main body having a user grip portion between first and second end portions. A first tool is mounted to the first end portion, and a first rotatable surface is positioned between the first tool and the user grip portion. A second tool is mounted to the second end portion, and a second rotatable surface is positioned between the second tool and the user grip portion.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a dental instrument for use on a patient is provided which has a dental tool mounted to user handle. The dental instrument has a means for free movement in alternative directions relative to the dental tool while being in contact with a patient during use. A sleeve rotatably mounted to the user handle may be provided for the free movement means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of using a dental instrument on a patient provides positioning a dental tool portion of the dental instrument inside of the patient""s mouth, contacting a lip contact portion of the dental instrument to the patient""s lip, and moving the dental instrument while rolling the lip contact portion on the patient""s lip. The method of using the dental instrument may also include removing the dental tool portion from the patient""s mouth and the lip contact portion from the patient""s lip, positioning a second dental tool portion of the dental instrument inside of the patient""s mouth, contacting a second lip portion of the dental instrument to the patient""s lip, and moving the dental instrument while rolling the lip contact portion on the patient""s lip. The method of using the dental instrument may also include selectively preventing rolling of the lip contact portion.
Various advantages, feature, and objects of the present invention can become apparent upon reading this disclosure including the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages, objects, and features may be desired, but not necessarily required to practice the present invention.